Shanghai reaps May Day holiday bonanza with 16.5 million tourist visits

Shanghai's hospitality industry witnessed a robust performance during the May Day holiday with daily occupancy rate exceeding 80 percent for three consecutive days from May 2 to 4, reaching a historic high, the city's cultural and tourism authorities revealed on Monday, the last day of the holiday.

A total of 16.5 million visits by tourists were recorded during the five-day holiday, up 1.61 percent year-over-year, while the city's comprehensive tourism revenue covering dining, accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment reached 20.11 billion yuan (US$2.7 billion), a 10.2 percent increase.

Its hotel occupancy rate was 73 percent during the holiday, climbing 6.5 percentage points from the previous year.

Data from major travel platforms such as Trip.com, Qunar and Tongcheng Travel showed the average check-in rate of about 5,000 hotels in Shanghai during the May Day period increased by over 20 percent, with revenue growing by more than 15 percent, compared to the same period last year, according to the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism.

Night tours extended consumption time, adding to the impact of consumption coupons, it said.

Among these, fireworks show staged at the Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal, Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park, and Jinshan City Beach, as well as light shows in the Lingang area and a music carnival at the Shanghai International Circuit drew large crowds and spurred nearby hotel bookings, the administration added.

The Jinshan beach fireworks, for instance, pushed local hotel occupancy rate to 87 percent on May 2, with rural homestays in Jinshanzui Fishing Village peaking at 92 percent.

Moreover, travel vouchers also stimulated spending. On May 1, Labor Day, alone, 1.5 million yuan worth of travel coupons were redeemed, the highest single-day figure to date.

Suburban areas and ancient towns also experienced a surge in popularity. Events like the Peony Festival at Langxia Country Park and cultural performances, coffee festivals, music pop-ups, and an animation, comic and game (ACG) market in Zhujiajiao and Nanxiang ancient towns in Shanghai's suburb boosted overnight stays.

The city hosted 660 performances over the holiday, serving about 740,000 attendees, a 25.91 percent year-on-year rise. Box office revenue hit 163 million yuan, surging 59.41 percent yearly.

During the holiday, all cabins for the four cruise voyages sailing from the Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal were fully booked, with a total of 32,000 inbound and outbound passengers recorded, up 27 percent year on year.

China's inbound tourism market was robust amid the holiday, with cultural experiences and diverse activities becoming the core attractions for foreign tourists, according to Trip.com.

The agency's inbound tourism orders surged by 130 percent year-on-year and Shanghai topped the popular destination list.

Topics like "shopping in Shanghai" went viral on social media and inbound tourism orders for the city during the five-day period soared by 138 percent compared to the same period last year.

Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park saw peak daily attendance exceeding 50,000 visitors. With the booming inbound tourism market, there has been a significant increase in orders from Japan, South Korea, and Thailand, it said.